Loyalty
by FairyTales And Pixie Dust
Summary: A fic taking place after the battle on top of Big Ben as a contest over at dA. OC appears only at the end. Don't like? Don't read. No flames please. I own nothing but the OC


The Queen's Royal Hounds had chased the fat Angora cat up one of the trees. Silently, the feline vowed to never underestimate another dog she encountered again. Hissing and puffing herself up, she did her best to keep out of harm's way until a passing gentleman, a guard, spotted her in the tree.

"Clear off you lot, I'll take care 'o this." He said, shooing away the dogs. He reached a hand towards the cat, smiling at her. "Now, now gorgeous, you're all right. No more nasty dogs here to bother you. Come here," Felicia purred and nudged her rescuer's hand with her head while the good Samaritan took her outside the gate and let her loose. The cat looked around the corner, relieved to see that Toby had gone. If she could, the cat would have chuckled to herself. Lifting her tail up in a proud manner, she headed back to her home where her master would be waiting. At least, she hoped he would. She had been pleasantly surprised to say the least to see the three mice that had been left behind saving her royal snack. Ah well, c'est la vie, as her master would say. Padding along down the streets, she passed a number of people who stopped to pet her. She purred, enjoying the attention, but still she continued on her way. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the small runty bat who had nearly been her meal. She rolled her eyes in irritation, wishing the bell would ring so she could enjoy herself a tasty snack after all that running about. She passed London's Tower and didn't stop until she heard a faint squeak of pain. Curious, she listened for the noise again and was rewarded with a faint groan. She blinked and searched for the cause of the noise. She overturned garbage, wrinkling her nose at the smell, but then she froze. Underneath the stench of the garbage was a familiar scent. Her eyes widened as she instantly recognized it and began digging in a frenzy. She stopped and crouched down to find a mud and filth caked rat lying on it's side. It barely moved or spoke, but she knew upon further examination who it was. This was no lucky morsel resting after a drink. It was her master. He was hurt very badly from what she could tell and in all likelihood probably on the verge of death. She mewled softly and gently batted at him, wanting him to wake up. He opened an eye slowly.

"Fe...li...cia..."he said weakly. She nudged him with her nose. He lay back down in the filth, wincing and hissing in pain. Felicia couldn't understand. Her master was strong. He was a rat (though if she could speak, she would never call him that, knowing his hatred of the word) he was much tougher than some silly mouse! Who had done this to him? She mewed again and batted him, wanting him to stay awake. He smiled weakly at her, and tried with all his might to get up, but he fell back down into the puddle again. It was no use. He couldn't move without doing himself further injury. The Angora cat crouched low and gently lifted him up by the mane of fur on the back of his neck, carrying him as she would a kitten. Years ago, he had done the same for her when she was young and afraid. The family she lived with had abandoned her when they moved, forgetting about her. She often wondered what she had done wrong to cause this to happen. Was it her fault? Was it their fault? She'd never understand. But when she met him, a rat, also neglected and abused, she knew that she could move past all that. Rats and cats had a simple understanding between them. The cats don't bother the rats because they fight back (and rather viciously as she could recall), and the rats don't bother the cats because who has that kind of time? He had made certain that she had a good home. Even if she did disappear once in a while, most likely confusing the Professor she lived with. But the Professor had other things to attend to, such as another pesky detective just like the one her master hated. She remembered how he had told her to stay on the doorstep while he scurried up the gutter, jumped onto the ivy and swung close enough to ring the doorbell with his tail, and scampered away to hide under the bushes. Felicia was about to follow him when a man answered the door.

"What have we here, now?" The man asked in a light Irish accent. "How did you manage to get here, hmm?" She had meowed and pawed at the man's shoelaces causing him to laugh. "Curious little thing, aren't you? I don't suppose I mind having a bit of company. Things get dreadfully boring around here." And without another word, the man had swept the kitten up into his arms and closed the door. She had lived with the Professor ever since, only leaving to serve her master when he called her with the little dinner bell he'd stolen from a rival of his. Felicia was grateful to the rat for giving her such a good home, and now it was time that she returned the favor. She carried him as gently as she could without doing any further injury to him. The cellars were out of the question. Basil would surely find him there and take him to jail. She couldn't very well take him to her own home, the Professor's housekeeper would be most displeased with her. She settled for another flat just above Mr. Basil's. It was more of his attic really, but she knew the lady who resided there was a friend to her master. She didn't particularly care for her, but she knew that the rat was a good nurse, and under her care, the nurse would have her master fixed good as new. Wiggling her behind in a manner only cats had, she leapt for the window sill and deposited her burden outside the window. She scratched and meowed at it until a light came on and the lady came into view.

"Felicia? What on Earth are you doing out- oh!" The nurse said as she took in the state of the rat lying on his side outside her window. She looked back at the cat. "He's...alive?" The cat met her eyes and for a moment, the nurse's eyes flicked to the master and then back to hers. A sigh then. "I take it you would like me to take care of him for you?" The cat mewled gently. The nurse closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "I don't know about this. If Mr. Basil finds out, I'll be evicted for certain, good intentions or not." The cat let a pathetic meow at the nurse and tenderly began licking at her master's wounds. Sighing in exasperation, the lady rat rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine! I'll do my best for him. Now, you ought to get out of here before Toby spots you." The cat mewed her thanks and headed back to the Professor's flat. Sarah shook her head as she brought Ratigan inside and laid him down on her bed, fussing about. "I don't know what it is about you that makes that cat of yours so loyal, but trust me when I says this, she's far more loyal than any of your henchman!"

EN


End file.
